Zim Independent

Chirundu Project threatens wildlife habitat
Daniel Calderwood
GOVERNMENT is planning a massive agriculture and housing project in the
Zambezi Valley on land designated for wildlife heritage, the Zimbabwe
Independent can reveal.

The Zimbabwe Conservation and Development Foundation (ZCDF) said in a
statement the development, known as the Chirundu Project, is set to cover
parts of Mana Pools National Park as well as the Hurungwe, Chewore and Sapi
Safari areas.

These areas are protected by the Parks and Wildlife Act and are also
designated as World Heritage Sites.

In a statement this week, ZCDF said the project, which covers a total of 1
000 square kilometres will be launched in early November and has since been
approved by an unnamed senior government official. The project is initially
aimed at building 600 low-cost houses as well as cultivating areas to be
used for commercial agriculture. The initial cost of the project is US$30
million that is set to cover agricultural equipment.

The ZCDF condemned the plan saying it would have terrible effects on the
environment and wildlife.

"It will be dire for well-developed communities of a diversity of trees and
woodlands," the foundation said. "Threat levels to a vast array of fauna
will accelerate in the short term. The balances of these sensitivities will
most certainly be disturbed in the immediate term."

Wilderness Africa Trust executive director Ian Jarvis said he backed the
views of the ZCDF and raised his own concerns over the development of the
project.

"The destruction of the east bank of the Sabi Valley occurred in a similar
project under the name of the Middle Sabi Project. It is believed that the
Zambezi Valley is far more sensitive. There is inadequate electricity and
fuel to develop such a large project," Jarvis said.

"Valuable tourism will undoubtedly be negatively affected," ZCDF said.

However, Tourism minister Francis Nhema told the Independent that he was not
aware of the project in the National Parks area. "Who is building there? How
can they?" Nhema commented.

Johnny Rodrigues and John Fulton, chief executive officer and chairman of
ZCDF respectively, said the project would lead to the destruction of an area
that is internationally known for its natural wildlife, habitat and
environment.

ZCDF believes that over 380 species of fauna alone will be directly affected
by the human impact on the area. The air, soil, water and waste pollution
will be disastrous to the "highly sensitive region".

Commenting on the proposed irrigation scheme to be supplied by water from
Zambezi River, ZCDF said it was sure that clear procedures had not been
followed.

The ZCDF is adamant that "it is highly unlikely that permission has been
secured from the tri-lateral accord on the Zambezi River water usage that
exists between Zambia, Zimbabwe and Mozambique".

"It is furthermore unlikely that any agreement between the projects
developers' and Zimbabwe's water-management authorities has been conducted
transparently."

The ZCDF not only believe that there will be extreme damage to the natural
environment and species but the habitation of humans in an area that is
dominated by tropical diseases must be considered as well.

According to the ZCDF poaching is already a huge problem and can only
increase as well as the destruction to the natural environment.

Fulton was not prepared to make a statement or comment on any further
information about what the ZCDF know about the Chirundu Project and their
views towards it developing further.

This is my most favourite part of the entire world and I dream of going back to an unspoilt Zambezi Valley on a daily basis - if this happens it will be a disaster!!!

But I can't imagine how a program like this could work and why would you start work on it in November - at the start of the rains?

Another "sensational" load of Bull!

1)The plan is to finish the 600 houses started at chirundu in 1997- roads, sewage put in and the stands marked off, and then the council ran out of money. Now they have a government grant to finish it.

2) Chirundu Shugar estates is the only "private" land on the Zim side of the Zambezi Valley. Was a sugar estate in the 1960's. Went bust. Was being run as a primarily hunting estate by the former (late) President of Lebanon. With his death, A bunch of local heavies have had the land "designated" and occupied and now have come up with a dream to grow crops there again. It wont work, because of the nematode problem in the soils ... but they are wellcome to go ahead and try- the Brits failed so why shouldn't the locals now fail...

No application has been made to extend the farming area into the parkes estate (nyakasanga area of Hurungwe Safari Area).

So another false report!

Considering they have ten of thousands of acres of perfectly good farmland all over the county going to waste, this project makes a lot of sense to me.